Old grandpa gay

But Gambone’s thrust is the present. So why, in real life, do we flinch from befriending those who’ve actually lived the arcs we invent?

It’s not a canyon, but a bridge—and it’s got stories waiting at the other end.

📱 “Swipe Left on Ageism”

The apps? Why not learn from someone already there?

Why Younger Gay Men Should Befriend Their Elders

In a world where TikTok trends and six-pack selfies steal the spotlight, there’s something quietly revolutionary about pulling up a chair next to someone who remembers what Stonewall felt like, not just what it meant.

It’s time to write a different story.

I suggested Grandpa for me and Grandad for Guy. Well, apparently, that just wouldn’t work.

Though the kids ended up calling adults by their first names often, because well.. Borrow the rhythm of someone else’s lived-in joy and pain. Perhaps, finding common ground—or a story worth telling will develop.

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The Age Gap Isn’t a Canyon—It’s a Bridge

Younger gay men often look at older men and see a mirror reflecting what they fear: age, invisibility, vulnerability.

Because Guy’s father was Grandpa, so should Guy be and since my father(s) were grandad, so should I be. They remember when “coming out” was an act of courage, not content.

Want emotional stakes in your writing? So, I said as a compromise, I’d accept that.

Our new granddaughter is half Hawaiian/Local/Hapa, so that fits.

Leimomi Marie Makanaalohamaikalani Bagorio (say that three times fast) is due in less than 2 weeks.

In the process of growing from one stage to the next, both the community and individuals are transformed. A multigenerational cast doesn’t just add realism—it adds depth. He’s a skilled storyteller, holding back enough to keep his reader continually engaged, but character is his thing: the people and narrators who populate Zigzag’s 16 stories are complex, relatable, and very much themselves, whether they’re humorous, irritating, or lovable, or a combination of the three.

For example, there’s Mason Chastain in “The Hazardous Life,” a high-school French teacher nearing retirement who embarks on teaching a senior-level French literature course and falls for one of his most promising male students.

Others won’t even like musicals. Chances are, you’ll leave with more than just a story. That’s literary gold. It thrives in authenticity.

Some older gay men won’t be your campy fairy godfathers. Ultimately, they found joy. I suppose we should settle this.

Just call me tutu. But they might know how to survive a heartbreak with dignity or how to fix your leaky faucet while giving you relationship advice.

Interestingly, they’ve got stories.

Many survived a time when being out meant losing your job, your family, or worse. Though much of gay life after Stonewall is defined by sexual liberation, Gambone is looking for a broader kind of fulfillment.

Indeed, the stories in this collection are tied together by more than just age, orientation, and proximity to the South End.

Religion often comes into play, as does social striving and the effects of gentrification.